To James Madison from John Browne Cutting, 30 November 1822
From John Browne Cutting
Washington 30 Novr 1822
Dear Sir,
Thomas Law Esqr:1 who resides on a farm in this vicinity has by letter, requested that I woud in his name inclose you his last essay on a very thorny subject:2 a severe domestic calamity has for the last month drawn me near to him. But even were this otherwise, any function of friendship woud be rendered to me additionally pleasant, that gave me occasion to assure you & Mrs Madison of that true and respectful regard, with which I shall long remain her and your very obedt Servt
John Browne Cutting3
RC (DLC). Docketed by JM.
1. Thomas Law (1756–1834), a former administrator for the British East India Company, who immigrated to the United States in 1794, was a Washington real-estate investor and gentleman of leisure who wrote on political and economic topics. He married Elizabeth Parke Custis, a granddaughter of Martha Washington, in 1796, but the couple later separated ( 17:52 n. 1, 53 n. 7).
2. [Thomas Law], Additional Facts, Remarks, and Arguments, Illustrative of the Advantage to the People of the United States, of a National Circulating Medium (Washington, 1822; Shoemaker 7741). JM’s copy is in the Madison Papers, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library.
3. John Browne Cutting (1755?-1831) was a native of Boston, a Revolutionary War veteran who served in the Hospital Department and as apothecary general, and a resident of Washington (L. H. Butterfield et al., eds., Adams Family Correspondence [10 vols. to date; Cambridge, Mass., 1963—], 7:122 n. 8; Francis J. Sypher Jr., New York State Society of the Cincinnati: Biographies of Original Members & Other Continental Officers [Fishkill, N.Y., 2004], 112).